Red Gerard Wins First U.S. Medal At 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

posted by RJ Johnson - @rickerthewriter -

3 months ago

Seventeen-year-old snowboarder Red Gerard has won the first gold medal for Team USA with a comeback win in the men's slopestyle final.

In comments relayed by the Olympics' news service, Gerard said he was happy it all worked out. "It was awesome. I just told myself that I want to land a run and I was a little bummed on my first two runs because I fell a couple of times."

Gerard, the youngest competitor in the field at only 17, had been in last place after his first two runs during the final. But an incredible final run helped him reach the podium, posting a best score of 87.16, finishing past silver medal winner Canadian Max Parrot (86.00) and bronze medal winner Canadian Mark McMorris (85.20).

Gerard is the youngest American male athlete to win Winter Olympics gold since 1928.

"It feels incredible. I'm just really happy that I got to land a run and I'm just really excited right now," Gerard said.

The U.S. has now won the gold in men's slopestyle snowboarding at each Olympics appearance since it was introduced in Sochi in 2014.